The atmosphere was electrifying last weekend at Safari Maze during the highly anticipated launch show of Shemy B’s third studio album Rap Anfudde Giant. Having prepared for this climatic event months in advance through a rigorous publicity tour, Shemy made the night a historic step toward consolidating and celebrating the very best elements of the hip-hop community.
Gates opened at 5pm, and the revellers immediately started streaming into the venue. An expert musical mix set an ambience, allowing early arrivals to network, interact, and reconnoiter the space. By 6pm, the energy had shifted into higher gear as the show kicked off with powerhouse curtain-raising performances. A star-studded lineup including Page Mc, Ssebo Lule, Geof D Poet, Snooty Fredo, ThaGod Katakwi, Ssemakula Omutontomi, Zedmonk Ssabatontomi, Xenson, X-black Mafioso, Kijjanah Mc, Mapafi Nsimbiziwoome, Big Sam and Lyrical G delivered solid sets. In between, the DJ served a seamless cocktail of musical interludes, sampling a refined selection of local and foreign hip-hop tracks that kept the crowd engaged.
First Phase of Shemy B’s Stage Time:
Shemy B, legendary for his unmatched showmanship and lyrical dexterity, made a defining statement with a replenished flow and polished word delivery, credit to skills he didn’t spare on the night. The crowd reached a fever pitch when the rapper stepped onto the stage at around 10pm. He warmed up the audience with Ebinchoma, a track from his 2015 debut album Street Identity, that expresses dissatisfaction with the ills of the hip-hop industry. Transitioning smoothly into Natambula, Shemy B took fans down memory lane to where his musical journey was conceived in 2014. The crowd traveled back in time, singing along to the music that originally stamped the rapper’s reputation as the rookie to look out for.
He then switched gears to Rap Anfudde Giant, performing Suubi, a mantra about the fruits of hopefulness and Baasalawo, a track on the avoidable causes behind the tragic death of the song’s fictional character, Baidu. Showcasing his penmanship, the rapper dropped heavy bars over a hardcore synthesizer beat during Ennyumba Ekutte, a track that wraps around the scenery inside a typical urban nightclub over a jazz-glazed boom-bap rhythm.
When he dropped the next track, Amaswingi, the venue completely erupted. Shemy B effortlessly pushed the crowd out of the warm-up phase and into the main event. Fans waved and swung left and right in perfect unison, mimicking the iconic dance movements of the song. He followed this up with Abantu Bange, a track reaffirming the essence of social networks for a community to be.
This breathtaking opening set paved the way for another musical interlude, which featured jaw-dropping guest performances by hip-hop heavyweights Abramz, St. Nellysade, and RawFam.
Second Phase of Shemy B’s Stage Time:
Stepping back onto the stage to a roaring ovation, Shemy B picked up right where he left off. He kicked off an unforgettable collaboration with Charmic Ssentongo, who set the rhythm using raw beatboxing.
This was followed by Obudde, a track detailing how success hinges on patience and time, and Omuvubuka, a stellar collaboration featuring indigenous rapper Corp Zak.
To seal off the night in what he dubbed the ‘Lovers’ Session,’ the rapper performed a string of smoother tracks, including Ewoono Ewoono and his breakout single Omwana w’omwaami, backed by sensational, soulful vocals from Herbert Sensamba.The finale was pure hip-hop culture. In an exclusive after-party freestyle session, Babaluku and a host of other present emcees gathered to form an authentic cypher circle. Taking turns, they traded mind-blowing verses over a nostalgic lineup of ’90s old-school instrumentals.
‘The show was fire! I love how close this show has brought me to the hiphop greats. I have taken some selfies to archive. One of the best moments is when the DJ played Obutonde by Mulekwa, in a timely tribute to the deceased rapper.’, said Nsubuga Moses, a fan from Kajjansi.
